Billy Boston, Clive Sullivan and Gus Risman will be depicted in the Cardiff Bay monument
A SCULPTOR has been commissioned to create a statue of Cardiff’s legendary rugby “codebreakers”, who left a lasting legacy in the world of rugby.
Steve Winterburn is probably best known for his iconic rugby league Heroes statue at Wembley Stadium.
The statue, to be erected in Cardiff Bay at a site yet to be announced, will honour three of the first leading players who controversially moved from Welsh amateur rugby union careers to star in England’s professional rugby league teams.
Billy Boston, Clive Sullivan and Gus Risman, all from Butetown and the old Tiger Bay Area, will be depicted in the monument.
Fundraisers have raised £146,590 of the £300,000 needed to complete the project.
Who are the three players who will be honoured?
Billy Boston
Born in Butetown in 1934, Billy Boston won the World Cup with Great Britain and played 31 times for the Lions, becoming their first black tourist in Australia. He was made MBE for his services to sport. He also has a statue dedicated to him at Wigan and is included on the Rugby League statue at Wembley Stadium.
Gus Risman
Gus Risman was the son of Russian immigrants who settled in Tiger Bay. He became one of the greatest rugby players produced by Wales, captaining the 15-a-side team in wartime internationals despite being a rugby league legend. He is a member of the Rugby League and Workington Halls of Fame and is on the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame Roll of Honour.
Clive Sullivan
Clive Sullivan was born in Splott in 1943 and became the first black captain of any British side and led Great Britain to the 1972 Rugby League World Cup title, scoring a try in each of his side’s four games in the tournament. He captained Wales at the 1975 World Cup. (Learn more about Clive’s achievements here.)
The trio were hailed as trailblazers when they moved north, overcoming prejudice to become stars not only in their new adopted communities but also in the Great Britain teams they represented.
Gareth Kear, chief executive of Wales Rugby League, said: “To have a project like this, honouring so many of the greatest Welsh rugby league players of the past, is just monumental.
“In the North of England they all talk about Tiger Bay and the great players who went up to play rugby league from Cardiff.
“We need to reflect on our rich past and use it as a signpost for the future. It is not just about erecting a statue, this is a project that has at its heart in education, sporting excellence and social justice.”
Steve Winterburn, of Yorkshire Fine Arts, has a wealth of experience memorialising sporting legends creating the iconic rugby league Heroes statue at Wembley Stadium.
The fundraising campaign is led and chaired by South Wales businessman Sir Stanley Thomas OBE.
“I made a commitment two years ago to achieve our fundraising target and commission the statue within two years. Despite Covid drastically impacting on our fundraising efforts, what we have achieved is remarkable,” said Mr Thomas.
“I would like to thank Vaughan Gething MS, the Welsh Government, Cardiff Council, as well as Gaynor Legall, the chair of the Heritage and Cultural Exchange, Gareth Kear, head of the Welsh Rugby League, our committee and advisers and, of course, the public who have donated to the cause.”
On Sporting Heritage Day, in 2020, The Rugby Codebreakers set up One Team – One Race.
The project aimed to raise money to create three statues chosen from 13 sports stars who made a telling contribution playing in Rugby League over the past 120 years.
It was inspired by calls from the Butetown and wider Cardiff Bay communities for a fitting tribute to the players who did so much to improve race relations across Britain.
All 13 nominees grew up within a three-mile radius of Cardiff Bay, taking in the old Tiger Bay, Butetown, Grangetown, Adamsdown and Splott. Many battled prejudice and racism before leaving Wales to find fame as Rugby League superstars in the North of England.
The 13 rugby codebreakers, include three World Cup winners, nine Great Britain internationals and 12 Welsh internationals.
They also boast three Rugby League Hall of Famers, four members of the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame Roll of Honour and seven players who won 17 Challenge Cup finals.
After almost 14,000 members of the public had cast their vote, Billy Boston, Gus Risman and Clive Sullivan came out on top.
Cardiff Bay’s legendary 13 rugby ‘codebreakers’
- Billy Boston
- Clive Sullivan
- Colin Dixon
- Dave Willicombe
- Dennis Brown
- Frank Whitcombe
- Gerald Cordle
- Gus Risman
- Jim Sullivan
- Joe Corsi
- Johnny Freeman
- Roy Francis
- William “Wax” Williams
Two of Cardiff Bay’s legendary 13 rugby ‘codebreakers’ (Jim Sullivan and Gus Risman) are amongst the British rugby league’s all-time leading point scorers.
Gaynor Legall – Director, The Heritage & Cultural Exchange Archive – Tiger Bay and the World, said: “I grew up in the same community in Tiger Bay as the Bostons, Dixons and Freemans. They were heroes to us then for their achievements and they still are.
“We want their great deeds to be recorded for future generations so they can be a constant source of encouragement and inspiration.”
Councillor Huw Thomas, leader of Cardiff Council and vice chair of the committee, added: “The exceptional achievements of so many rugby players from Cardiff Bay’s, multi-cultural melting pot have for too long been overlooked.
“They not only brought honour to themselves, their city and their nation, but also helped to break down the barriers of racism and social injustice.
“It is time for Cardiff to properly celebrate them. We are examining the most suitable place in Cardiff Bay to site it when it is completed.”
You can donate to the project here.
Lets test your knowledge:
